Civil War History

Shepherdstown found itself in the midst of some notorious Civil War clashes. In the wake of the Battle of Antietam, the town’s public and private buildings served as military infirmaries for the wounded. Historic Shepherdstown & Museum have published a self-guided walking tour of Shepherdstown available on their website: Walking Tour

Shepherdstown Historic District

In the wake of the Battle of Antietam, the town became one vast Confederate hospital, with public and private buildings in town serving as military hospitals for the wounded. The last significant battle of the Maryland campaign occurred about a mile down the Potomac River from Shepherdstown. Elmwood Cemetery, on the outskirts of town, has a Confederate section. Historic Shepherdstown is listed on The Civil War Discovery Trail’s website which is a valuable resource as it includes profiles of all the sites on the trail.

The George Tyler Moore Center for the Study of the Civil war at Shepherd University. Engaged in a long-term project to establish a Civil War soldier database with initial emphasis on West Virginia soldiers, the Center has a magnificent Civil War library and sponsors lectures by leading authorities on antebellum and Civil War history, summer seminars, and battlefield tours.

Site of the first major battle in the Civil War to take place on Union soil and the bloodiest single-day battle in American history. In all, nearly 23,000 men from both sides were killed, wounded, or missing in action here on September 17, 1862. Today, the battlefield is considered the best-preserved Civil War battlefield in the nation.

Harper’s Ferry is the site of abolitionist John Brown’s 1859 raid on the First Federal Arsenal. The now National Historic Park changed hands eight times during the war. It became the base of operations for Union invasions into the Shenandoah Valley and Stonewall Jackson achieved his most brilliant victory here in September 1862 when he captured 12,500 Union soldiers.

The C&O Canal National Park is rich in history. Some of the Canal’s most scenic and interesting features are within a short walking distance of the Rumsey Bridge access to Shepherdstown – Shepherdstown lock and site of old Bridgeport settlement, Antietam Creek, High cliffs and Killiansburg caves, Snyder’s Landing, Pack Horse Ford, and Ferry Hill plantation.

Although it is eclipsed by the battle of Antietam, this battle was significant for two reasons: it marked the end of the Confederates’ ill-fated Maryland campaign of 1862, and it remains the bloodiest battle ever fought on West Virginia soil.

Dedicated on the fifth anniversary of the battle of Antietam, the cemetery encompasses 11.36 acres and contains the graves of 4,776 of the battle’s Union casualties (no Confederate soldiers were interred here). At its center stands a colossal granite statue of a Union infantryman..

During the run-up to the battle of Antietam, northern and southern forces clashed at several sites on South Mountain just east of Boonsboro. Not part of the National Park system, these sites are off the beaten track but well worth a visit.

This new museum is located in the historic Pry House which served as Union Commander General George B. McClellan’s headquarters during the battle. Take the opportunity to walk in the footsteps of Abraham Lincoln who visited the house two weeks after the battle.